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Elections Office Certifies Purcellville Recall Petition Signatures
The Office of Elections has certified signatures in a recall petition submitted last month seeking to remove Purcellville’s mayor, vice mayor and two council members from office. According to court documents, 1,211 signatures were included in the petition to remove Mayor Christopher Bertaut. Of those, 25 were deemed invalid and 1,186 were verified. The number of signatures required for a petition to be certified was 494.
Norfolk attorneys in turf war over authority to prosecute shoplifting cases
A feud between Norfolk’s city attorney and the city’s top prosecutor over whose office should handle misdemeanor shoplifting cases quickly escalated into a political turf war with both sides claiming chief authority. The Norfolk City Council unanimously approved a code change Tuesday that will let the City Attorney’s Office prosecute misdemeanor shoplifting cases after Mayor Kenny Alexander complained Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi wasn’t bringing charges.
State Secretary of Transportation: Amtrak service to Bristol a ‘heavy lift’
Attracting Amtrak passenger rail service to the Twin City is an expensive, long-term proposition that still remains possible, state transportation leaders said Tuesday. Speaking during a public session about the state’s six-year transportation plan at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, Secretary of Transportation B. Sheppard Miller III urged proponents to keep working.
Purcellville recall petitions certified; next steps begin
Petitions to recall Purcellville Mayor Chris Bertaut, Vice Mayor Carl "Ben" Nett and Council members Carol Luke and Susan Khalil have been certified, according to Loudoun County General Registrar Judy Brown. The four petitions, one each for the mayor and three council members, have been sent to Loudoun County Clerk of the Circuit Court Gary Clemens' office for the next steps in the process, she said. Clemens confirmed that he has the petitions, and he was reviewing them on Thursday morning.
Reaser: Va.’s children are safer, but we still have work to do
Virginia’s legislative season is over, and Gov. Glenn Youngkin has sifted through dozens of bills and issued a record number of vetoes. While the governor vetoed most bills increasing gun safety, he also signed two gun safety measures into law that have flown under the radar: House Bill 2055 and House Bill 2679. I, along with my chief co-patrons Dels. Michael Feggans and Laura Jane Cohen, championed these bills with one goal in mind: protecting Virginia’s children from needless gun violence. And that’s exactly what these bills do.
Richmond’s inspector general staff threaten resignations over personnel changes
Multiple investigators in Richmond’s Office of the Inspector General have threatened to resign over recent personnel changes in the department, 8th District Councilwoman Reva Trammell told the Richmond Times-Dispatch on Wednesday evening. The inspector general is tasked with investigating allegations of fraud, waste and abuse within city government. The office reports to City Council.
Virginia’s retention of recent college graduates needs improvement
Every May, university campuses across the commonwealth are filled with shouts of joy and raucous applause as thousands of young people receive their degrees. Graduating college is a laudable achievement — the product of hard work, persistence, curiosity and determination — which should make the heart swell with pride. Yet studies show that in a matter of years, a good many of these graduates will leave Virginia, taking their skills and talent to other states. It’s a persistent problem here and one that officials, policymakers and university officials must work together to address.
Youngkin defies House on vetoes, but court fight unlikely
Gov. Glenn Youngkin is defying the House of Delegates over his vetoes of three provisions in the state budget, but a battle is unlikely in state courts over the limits of his constitutional authority. After House Clerk Paul Nardo declined to recognize three of the governor's 37 line-item budget vetoes, Youngkin made clear on Thursday that he will not abide by the clerk's decision. He said his administration will not carry out the General Assembly directives, including proposals to help nursing homes hire more staff and expand access to weight loss drugs under the state's Medicaid program.
Johnson: How Virginia honors its vets should evolve from recognition to reform
May is National Military Appreciation Month, with events held throughout the country honoring American heroes who sacrificed their lives and health in service of their country. Yet this month should also be about advocating for better policies that improve the lives of veterans and active service members. Currently, despite considerable progress in safety measures, working for the military is a hazardous career path. Veterans experience some of the highest rates of cancers and chronic conditions, while many continue to face obstacles in accessing timely health care and benefits tied to their service-related exposures.
D.C. region sees slight decline in homelessness, though Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William numbers continue to rise
While an annual point-in-time count showed the D.C. region has seen a slight decline in homelessness, Arlington’s count increased by 12%. The point-in-time count from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) is an annual snapshot tallying people experiencing homelessness around the region. While the region saw an overall decrease in homelessness — from 9,774 last year to 9,659 this year — Arlington was one of four jurisdictions to see an increase in its homelessness count.